Toy phonograph



J- LIEBERMAN TOY PHONOGRAPH Sept. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10, 1964 A UP/5 BY 64L, Z f

Sept. 28, 1965 Filed March 10, 1964 J. LIEBERMAN TOY PHONOGRAPH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTUR. Josepw 0566/9714 United States Patent 3,208,755 TOY PHONOGRAPH Joseph Lieberman, New York, N.Y., assignor to Frey- Lieb Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 350,810 Claims. (Cl. 274-41) This inventon relates to a toy phonograph. More particularly, the invention pertains to a phonograph which is adapted to be incorporated into a doll or a toy so as to provide speech or music in association therewith.

It is an object of the invention to provide a phonograph of the character described which is compact, light and inexpensive to make.

It is another object of the invention to provide a phonograph of the character described which is peculiarly adapted to be inserted into a space provided therefor in the interior of a doll and to provide a small size of protruding parts for operating the phonograph so as to minimally detract from the natural appearance of the doll.

It is another object of the invention to provide a manually turned phonograph of the character described which has an extremely simple and inexpensive repeat mechanism that can be operated by a child of tender years without special instructions. It will be observed in this connection that it is conventional in toy phonographs to use a rather complex and delicate repeat mechanism and that this problem is complicated by the presence of a turntable or record that is directly driven by a manually rotatable handle. However, pursuant to the foregoing object of the invention, the repeat mechanism is made unusually simple and rugged so that it is foolproof and certain in operation and does not materially add to the cost of the phonograph.

It is another object of the invention to provide a phonograph of the character described in which the repeat mechanism minimizes mutilation of the sound track of the phonograph record.

It is another object of the invention to provide a phonograph of the character described in which the repeat mechanism cooperates in a unique fashion with the tone arm and the reproducing cone and in which said tone arm and reproducing cone are uniquely interrelated so as to permit the use of the novel repeat mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide a phonograph of the character described which constitutes relatively few and simple parts and which can be assembled easily and quickly by comparatively unskilled labor.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the phonograph hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the present in- Vention,

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a dolls torso in which there is mounted a phonograph constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the phonograph, the same being taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the phonograph with its parts in position preparatory to initiation of play;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but showing the parts of the phonograph as they appear at the end of p y;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the 3,208,755 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 phonograph during the operation of the repeat mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the phonograph with the grille cover panel removed;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged auxiliary partly sectional view of the phonograph, showing the tone arm, the tone arm outer limit stop, the tone arm loading spring, the reproducing cone and the travel button for the reproducing cone, said view being taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a partly sectional exploded perspective view of the phonograph.

In general, the various objects of the invention are carried out by providing a housing that is adapted to be inserted into a wall of a dolls body, e.g. the back of a torso, with an actuating handle protruding from the torso in a position convenient for rotation. Within the housing there is mounted a record (with or without a turntable) which is directly connected to the manually rotatable handle. A tone arm is mounted to oscillate with its needle (stylus) in cooperative relationship with one or more sound grooves on the playing surface of the phonograph record. The tone arm has a simple swivel mounting on the housing that permits it, when pressed against the phonograph record, to have its needle track in the sound grooves. The tone arm is biased perpendicularly away from the record and also is biased radially or outwardly of the record to a starting position with the needle adjacent the periphery of the record. Preferably both biasing actions are economically accomplished by a single simple hairspring.

A reproducing cone within the housing has a travel button which is in direct mechanical (physical) contact with a sound transmitting bar on the tone arm, the bar being so dimensioned and located that it is in constant sliding contact with the travel button of the reproducing cone. A biasing means associated with the reproducing cone presses the travel button against the sound transmitting bar, this biasing means being stronger than the biasing means that urges the phonograph tone arm away from the phonograph record. Hence in normal condition the needle is in operative engagement with the phonograph record and will track the record when the record is rotated by hand.

The repeat mechanism quite simple constitutes a spindle axially shiftably mounted at the center of the phonograph record and having its tip located in the vicinity of the rim of the reproducing cone. in a direction away from the reproducing cone and includes a push button externally of the casing and preferably at the center of rotation of the handle. When the button is pressed, the tip of the spindle engages the reproducing cone and urges it away from the phonograph record thereby nullifying the bias which pressed the phonograph needle against the phonograph record. Thereupon the hairspring lifts the phonograph needle off the record and, as the needle clears the record, the hair spring causes the tone arm to fly back against a tone arm outer limit stop. As soon as the push button is released the biasing means associated with the reproducing cone will once again urge the phonograph needle into cooperative relationship with the phonograph record adjacent the rim thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes a hollow torso of a conventional doll. The torso is made from a suitable self-form-maintaining material which is customarily used for doll bodies, such for instance as a vinyl polymer. It will be understood that this particular site for the phonograph is only given by way of example. The phonograph can be used on other types of doll bodies and animal bodies, as, for example, stuffed dolls or animals, providing that sufiicient The spindle is biased clear space is left for the admission of the phonograph housing. For a reason which later will be apparent, the dolls torso is shown with some sort of clothing 12 thereon, for example a T-shirt. The dolls pants 14 have been illustrated by way of completeness. They do not cooperate with the phonograph in the present invention. The doll"s clothing has been shown in full lines in FIG. 1, has been fragmentarily illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 and has been omitted in FIG. 4.

The reference numeral 16 denotes a toy phonograph constructed in accordance with the present invention and integrated with the dolls torso 10. More particularly the toy phonography16 includes an enclosure, to wit, a housing 18 shown here as made in two pieces. The major piece includes an open top casing in the form of a base wall 20 of suitable configuration, e.g., oval with flat long sides. A tall upstanding peripheral flange 22 circumscribes the base wall to complete the casing. Ears 24 extend in opposite directions from the opposite ends of the base wall. Desirably the casing and indeed all of the parts of the phonograph, save for the springs, the needle and the reproducing cone, are made from plastic in order to reduce weight and enable the phonograph to be made by mass production methods. The second piece of the housing constitutes a grille cover 26 having a squat flange 28 extending from one side thereof adjacent the edge of the cover for snug reception within the open top of the casing. Inasmuch as the phonograph usually will be permanently installed in a doll or other toy, the cover preferably may be permanently fastened to the casing, for instance, with the use of adhesive. The cover is perforated to permit sound to freely issue therefrom.

The phonograph is mounted by inserting the housing 18 through an opening of matching shape provided in the back of the dolls torso for this purpose and by fastening the ears 24 to the margin of the circumscribing portion of the torso around the opening. The ears are apertured to receive suitable fastening means, for example, rivets 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

The base wall of the housing rotatably mounts a phonograph record 32. The record may be supported over substantially all of its under surface by a turntable or, as shown here, the record may be sufliciently stiff to function satisfactorily without a turntable. The upper surface of the record (the open end of the casing is herein considered as the upper part of the phonograph) is formed with sound grooves of a conventional character. Optionally plural interleaved helical sound grooves may be employed, each containing a different message and terminating adjacent the rim of the phonograph record at a different entry end, and the various entry ends being angularly spaced apart so that the record will play any one of several messages at random.

The record 32 is clamped between an upper nut 34 and a lower washer 36, both of which are screwed on a threaded hub 38. The hub extends through a central opening in the phonograph record and also is rotatably journalled in an opening in the base wall 28 of the housing. Externally of the housing the hub is tightly received in the open upper end of a sleeve 40 from the lower end of which there radially and angularly projects a handle 42 carrying a manually manipulatable knob 44. The sleeve 40 is flanged, as at 46, adjacent the outside under surface of the base wall 20 and said base wall is snugly held between the washer 36 and the flange 46. The friction between said base wall, flange and washer is relatively light so that the hub can easily be rotated by turning the sleeve 40 with the aid of the knob 44. However the fit between the base wall, washer and flange is sufliciently snug to prevent the phonograph record from rocking to any marked degree.

Desirably the portion of the hub 38 that extends through the central opening in the record 32 includes one or more flats that are matched by flat portions in the central openng of the record so as to insure a positive drive between the hub and the record. It will be apparent that when the handle 42 is turned the record will be rotated.

Attention is called to the annular groove 48 provided in the rotatable sleeve 40 immediately adjacent the outer face of the flange 46. This groove is adapted to receive the periphery of an opening in the portion of the dolls clothing which covers the dolls torso, in this instance the T-shirt 12, thereby enabling the clothing on the torso to lie immediately adjacent the skin of the doll despite the presence of the manual manipulating means for tthe phonograph.

A central bore is formed in the hub 38 and in the sleeve 40 for the purpose of axially shiftably supporting a spindle 50. The tip of the spindle projects from the upper end of the hub, that is to say, from the end of the hub located within the housing 18. The other and outer end of the spindle is provided wtih a push button 52 having a shank 54 constituting the portion of the spindle 58 that is axially shiftably supported in the outer end of the sleeve 40. Such shank is enlarged to form an outwardly protruding shoulder where it joints the spindle.

The spindle is biased upwardly by a helical compression spring 56 closely encircling the portion of the spindle within an oversize bore 58 centrally disposed in the sleeve 40. One end of the spring is seated against the enlarged shoulder formed by the juncture of the shank and spindle and the other end of the spring is seated against the lower end of the hub 38. The spring is under compression whereby it biases the spindle 5t] outwardly. The enlarged shoulder of the push button shank limits outward movement of the spindle. It will be appreciated that the spindle and its actuating means, to wit, the push button, do not interfere with the rotation of the phonegraph record and that rotation of the phonograph record does not interfere with the spindle or its actuation.

In order to transduce the sound track formed on any given groove of the phongraph record into audible sound a stylus 60, i.e., a phonograph needle, is employed. The needle is rigidly secured to the outer end of a tone arm 62 in a position to track the grooves in the phonograph record in a direction which is approximately radial with respect to the center of rotation of said record. The tone arm is of simple light weight construction and preferably is fabricated from plastic. The under side of the tone arm is deeply grooved in order to reduce weight and cost. The phonograph needle is embedded in the outer end of the tone arm with its pointed tip extending toward the phonograph record.

The opposite end of the tone arm is pivotally mounted on a tone arm post 64. The lower end of the tone arm post is fixed to and extends away from the base Wall 20 of the housing. The upper end of the tone arm post is of reduced diameter, as can be seen in FIG. 6, and extends through an opening 66 in the tone arm, thereby serving to pivotally attach the tone arm to the housing.

The diameter of the upper end of the post is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the opening 66, for example, approximately th .of an inch smaller. This permits the tone arm to experience a swiveling movement with respect to the tone arm post. One direction of movement is around the longitudinally axis of the post 64 and therefore parallel to the plane of the phonograph record and the other direction of movement is around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post and therefore toward and away from the playing surface of the phonograph record. This latter movement is quite limited and is only permitted by the clearance between the opening 66 and the reduced diameter of the upper end of the post. However only a small degree of movement is needed in this last named direction inasmuch as the only extent of movement required is to permit the phonograph needle to be lifted off the playing surface of the record and to clear the sound grooves thereof when the tone arm is being restored to the start of a playing posi-. tion.

The tone arm is captively retained on the tone arm post 64 by a washer 68 located above the tone arm and permanently fixed to the tip of the post. The washer is spaced from the large diameter portion of the post by a distance slightly greater than the height of the pivoted end of the tone arm in order to permit the upward rocking movement of the tone arm which has just been mentioned.

Means is provided to bias the tone arm to the start of its playing position (radially outwardly from the center of the record) and also to bias the tone arms upwardly away from (lifted off of) the phonograph record. Conveniently a single biasing means is utlized to economically perform both of these biasing functions. Such a biasing means is in the form of a tone arm loading spring 70 that constitutes a hairpin spring having a several turn helix loosely encircling the large diameter lower end of the tone arm post 64 (see FIG. 6). The lower end of the helix terminates in an outwardly extending anchor arm 72 (see FIG. 5) which bears against the base of a tone arm out- Ward limiting stop 74. This stop is alfixed to the base wall 20 and rises therefrom. The stop is located in the path of the tone arm as it swings about the longitudinal axis of the post 64. The stop is so positioned that when it is contacted by the tone arm as the tone arm swings away from the center of rotation of the phonograph record the tip of the needle 60 will be located at a radius which matches the radius of the outer terminals (entry ends) of the sound grooves on the playing surface of the phonograph record. The anchor arm 72 engages the radially outward side (with respect to the center of rotation of the phonograph record) of the outer limit stop 74.

The upper end of the helix of the spring 70 terminates in an outwardly extending biasing arm 76 that is coupled to the phonograph tone arm. More particularly the tip of the biasing arm 76 is in the shape of an upwardly facing hook 78 (see FIG. 6) the plane of which is positioned approximately normal to the biasing arm. The hook engages the under surface of the outer edge of the phonograph tone arm, this being permitted by the channeled under surface the surface facing the phonograph record) of the tone arm. The configuration of the spring 70. in its relaxed position is such that when the biasing arm 76 engages the tone arm and when the anchor arm 72 bears against the stop 74 the biasing arm lightly urges the tone arm upwardly away from the phonograph record and lightly urges the tone arm radially toward the stop 74. Hence when the tone arm is swung toward the center of the phonograph record and is swung toward the playing surface of the record so that the needle engages a sound groove on the phonograph record two biasing forces will be generated in the spring 70 one of which urges the tone arm upwardly away from the playing surface of the phonograph record and the other of which urges the tone arm toward the stop 74.

The upper surface of the tone arm remote from the phonograph record is formed with a sound transmitting bar 80 that is functionally integral with the tone arm, for example, being cemented thereto or molded in one piece therewith or being autogenously Welded to the tone arm. The bar 80 is a slender elongated element which is so mounted that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tone arm and is parallel to the plane of the phonograph record. Because the bar is functionally integral with the tone arm it will vibrate with the tone arm and hence with the needle 60 as the latter is vibrated by cooperative engagement with a sound track on the phonograph.

To convert the vibrations of the needle and tone arm into audible sound a reproducing cone 82 is provided. This cone includes a conical stiff fibrous diaphragm 84 made from, for example, a stiff paper. The upper broad rim of the diaphragm is secured, as with cement, to the under surface of a fiat annular plastic frame 86. A portion of the diaphragm near but not touching the frame is circularly corrugated as at 88 to permit the'central portion of the diaphragm to vibrate with the tone arm. At its center the diaphragm is perforated to admit a stub shaft 90 integral with a travel button 92 beneath the diaphragm. The travel button and shaft are fastened, as with adhesive, to the diaphragm and are located at its apex.

At diametrical points thereof the frame 86 is formed with radially outwardly extending perforated lugs 94. Each lug receives in its perforation the shank of a centrally bored plug 96, the plug extending in a direction away from the phonograph record, that is to say, protruding from the upper face of the frame 86. The plugs seat the bottom ends of two helical compression springs 98, the upper ends of which bear against the under surface of the grille cover 26. A locating post aflixed to the upper surface of the base wall 20 has a tip of reduced diameter which extends through the central bore of one of the plugs 96.

The post 100 is so located and the reproducing cone 82 is so dimensioned that when the cone is coupled to the post 100 the travel button 92 bears in slidable sound transmitting contact against the sound transmitting bar 88. It will be observed that the diameter of the frame 86 is only slightly less than the internal width of the housing 18 so that the cone 82 can experience only a very limited angular movement about the locating post 100. It also will be observed that the travel button 92 is sufficiently large, taking into account the maximum extent of movement of the tone arm (see FIG. 5), for the travel button always to be slidably engaged in sound transmitting contact by the sound transmitting bar 88 regardless of the relative positions of the tone arm and of the reproducing cone. That is to say, the travel button remains in a limitedly shiftable plan position while the sound transmitting bar swings beneath it and the sound transmitting bar, while physically contacting the travel button, Slides along its under surface. Hence in all positions of the tone arm there is physical contact between the sound transmitting bar and the travel button whereby when the needle is vibrating as it tracks a sound groove the vibrations will be transformed into audible sound by the diaphragm 84.

It further will be observed that the downward force exerted by the compression springs 98 exceeds the upwardly biasing (lifting) force exerted by the loading spring 70. Thereby in the normal condition of the phonograph the springs 98 will bias the reproducing cone and the needle toward the phonograph record with a force sufiicient to overcome the upwardly biasing force of the spring 70; hence at such time the needle will operatively engage the playing surface of the phonograph record.

It should be obvious that the reproducing cone floats beneath the grille cover on the springs 98 and hence is susceptible of being bodily translated toward said cover if pressed from beneath.

The location of the spindle 50 is such that its free tip (upper end) is beneath a portion of the reproducing cone 82. Preferably it is beneath a portion of the reproducing cone that is remote from the locating post 100. Also desirably, the spindle is beneath a portion of the reproducing cone that can be pressed from beneath without damaging the conical diaphragm. For example, the spindle may be in line with the lug 94 remote from the locating pin. As shown, however, the spindle is located beneath the peripheral zone (rim) of the conical diaphragm which is secured to the frame 86 and is spaced from the freely vibratable part of the diaphragm that is separated from the frame by the corrugations 88. To obtain this relative disposition of parts the locating post 100 and the center of rotation of the handle 42 are disposed in suitable mutual positions. With such mutual relationship when the button 52 is pressed the uper tip of the spindle 50 will engage the rim of the conical diaphragm and will urge the reproducing cone upwardly away from the phonograph record thereby permitting the tone arm to be lifted off from the phonograph record by the tone arm loading spring 70.

It is believed that the operation of the phonograph is clear from the preceding description. However a short review will be helpful in understanding the construction and performance of the phonograph.

The cycle of operation may be assumed to start with the needle engaging the playing surface of the phonograph record near the record rim. This position is shown in full lines in FIG. and is shown in sectional elevation in FIG. 2. It will be observed that at such time the springs 98 press the reproducing cone down with sutficient force to overcome the upward force exerted by the loading spring 70 so that the needle is in operative engagement with the phonograph record. At this time the travel button 92 is pressed against the sound transmitting bar 80 by the springs 98. The tone arm is abutted against or is adjacent the outward limiting stop 74-. The phonograph is ready for play.

The phonograph is played by manually turning the handle 42 at a proper rate of speed, which a child or adult can judge for himself, to obtain an intelligible sound from the reproducing cone. As the record turns the needle will follow the particular sound track with which it happens to be engaged. This and all of the other sound tracks are helical so that as the needle rides on the rotating track it will gradually swing radially inwardly toward the center of the record. While this movement takes place the travel button 92 continues to engage the sound transmitting bar 80.

Ultimately the needle will reach the end of the sound track. Such position is illustrated in dot and dash lines for the tone arm in FIG. 5. The position also is illustrated in elevational section in FIG. 3. It will be observed that in such position the springs 98 still maintain the tone arm with the needle resting against the playing surface of the phonograph record. However the tone arm now is spaced from the limiting stop 74 and is prevented from returning to said stop by the lateral restriction afforded by the sound groove in which the needle then is located. The needle cannot leave the groove due to the pressure created by the springs 98. At this time the child will stop turning the record inasmuch as no further sound is being emitted by the phonograph.

In order to return the parts to the beginning of a play cycle the repeat mechanism must be rendered effective. This is done merely by elevating the push button 52 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Such action causes the tip of the spindle 50 to engage the under surface of the rim of the reproducing cone and lift the same. When the reproducing cone is lifted and the button 92 elevated the loading spring 7 0 will raise the tone arm and disengage the needle from the phonograph record as can be seen on FIG. 4. Thereupon the loading spring swings the tone arm outwardly until it abuts the limiting stop 74. Now when the push button is released the needle will be near the rim of the phonograhp record and the springs 98 will force the needle back into engagement with the outer terminal of one of the sound grooves.

It thus will be seen that there is provided a phonograph which achieves all the objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and useful and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. In a toy phonograph having a rotatable record, a sound reproducing means, a needle-bearing tone arm, means mounting the tone arm for movement of the needle toward and away from the playing surface of the record and toward and away from the center of the record, an element on the reproducing means and an element on the tone arm arranged in sliding contact with the element on the reproducing means to provide a physical sound transmitting connection between the needle and the reproducing means when the needle moves toward the center of the record as the record turns; means to bias the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record, means to bias the tone arm and needle toward the rim of the record, an abutment means located in the outward path of movement of the tone arm to be contacted thereby when the needle is adjacent the rim of the record, means to bias the reproducing means bodily toward the record with sufi'icient force to overcome the force of the means biasing the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record, and manually manipulatable means to selectively shift the reproducing means bodily away from the record whereby to permit the means biasing the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record to lift the needle off the record and the means biasing the tone arm and needle toward the rim of the record to swing the tone arm against the abutment means.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the manually manipulatable means to selectively shift the reproducing means bodily away from the record is located at the center of the record.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the manually manipulated means to selectively shift the reproducing means bodily away from the record is located at the center of the record and is biased toward an ineffective position.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reproducing means includes a reproducing cone and wherein the manually manipulatable means to selectively shift the reproducing means bodily away from the record includes an element which is selectively engageable with the cone adjacent the rim thereof.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means to bias the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record and the means to bias the tone arm and needle toward the rim of the record constitute a single spring.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein the tone arm turns about an axis perpendicular to the record and wherein the single spring includes a helical portion having the axis thereof coincident the axis of rotation of the tone arm, said single spring including an anchor arm at one end of the helical portion and a biasing arm at the other end of the helical portion, said biasing arm being coupled to an edge of the tone arm and biasing the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record and toward the rim of the record.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the phonograph includes a housing having a cover and wherein the reproducing means floats beneath the cover and is held away therefrom by the means biasing the reproducing means bodily toward the record.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a handle is connected to the record and is arranged to be manually rotated to manually turn the record.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the manually manipulatable means to selectively shift the reproducing means bodily away from the record constitutes an elongated member mounted for axially shiftable movement through the handle and through the center of the record and in line with the reproducing means, said element extending exteriorly of the handle for manual manipulation thereof.

10. In a toy phonograph having a rotatable record, a needle-bearing tone arm and means mounting the tone arm and needle for movement toward and away from the playing surface of the record and toward and away from the center of the record; means to bias the tone arm and needle away from the playing surface of the record, means to bias the tone arm and needle toward the rim of the record, an abutment means located in the outward part of movement of the tone arm to be contacted thereby when the needle is adjacent the rim of the record, means to hold the needle against the playing surface of the record and manually manipulatable means to selectively nullify the holding means whereby to permit the means biasing the tone arm and needle away from the record to lift the needle off the record and the means biasing the tone arm and needle toward the rim of the record to swing the tone arm against the abutment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Uchill 461 17 Wintriss 46-1 17 Mennie 2741 Ryan 2741 Zimmerman et al 2749 Hansen 2749 10 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD PINKHAM, Examiner. 

10. IN A TOY PHONOGRAPH HAVING A ROTATABLE RECORD, A NEEDLE-BEARING TONE ARM AND MEANS MOUNTING THE TONE ARM AND NEEDLE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE PLAYING SURFACE OF THE RECORD AND TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE RECORD: MEANS TO BIAS THE TONE ARM AND NEEDLE AWAY FROM THE PLAYING SURFACE OF THE RECORD, MEANS TO BIAS THE TONE ARM AND NEEDLE TOWARD THE RIM OF THE RECORD, AN ABUTMENT MEANS LOCATED IN THE OUTWARD PART OF MOVEMENT OF THE TONE ARM TO BE CONTACTED THEREBY WHEN 